Lectio Divina (latin for divine reading) is an ancient spiritual practice that dates back to the sixth century, when it was established as a monastic practice by St. Benedict of Nursia. It was further developed by the monk Guigo II in the twelfth century. It is a way of reading scripture in a contemplative, prayerful manner. Some even refer to the practice as a way of “praying the scriptures.”
Lectio Divina traditionally has four “steps” or movements:
- Lectio (reading) – This is the initial reading of the text. Often, practitioners are encouraged to focus on a word or a phrase that stands out to them.
- Meditatio (meditation) – Once a word or phrase emerges from the text, one can then begin to reflect on its meaning
- Oratio (prayer) – After reflection on the meaning of the text, in this step one moves from the head to the heart, letting a prayer emerge from within
- Contemplatio (contemplation) – at this point in the process, we surrender all of our mental activity to God, and simply allow ourselves to rest in God’s presence. Not unlike centering prayer (see below), we consent to the presence and action of God within.
When choosing a text for Lectio Divina practice, one should choose a short passage to allow for greater depth of exploration. Experienced practitioners may find that the four movements are not always linear, and they may cycle through the movements multiple times in different order, but beginners should try to stick to the traditional sequence.
Visio Divina (divine seeing) is a similar practice, but using images or icons instead of words. Traditionally, this practice has been more popular in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communities, but has gained more popularity in Protestant traditions in recent years.
For more information:
www.contemplativeoutreach.org/lectio-divina-contemplation/
For further reading:
Too Deep For Words: Rediscovering Lectio Divina, by Thema Hall